Washington, D.C.- Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA-03) has announced that more than $5 million in federal funding is now available to communities in Southwest Washington. The money is part of more than $3 billion in funding released by the Department of Energy to help fund conservation and energy efficiency projects as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A full break down of the funds is below.

"This money will help create the green jobs of tomorrow in Southwest Washington today," said Congressman Baird. "By investing in energy efficiency, we're not only making a commitment to rebuilding our economy today, but making a fiscally responsible investment in our future whose dividends we will all see in lower energy bills for years to come."

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded by President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will provide grants for projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency.

The funding will also support energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements.

Other activities eligible for use of grant funds include transportation programs that conserve energy, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, and deployment of Combined Heat and Power and district heating and cooling systems.

The money available to Southwest Washington breaks down as follows:

In addition, funding is also available to tribal governments.

More information on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program is available on http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/wip/block_grants.cfm.